Shows on HGTV

I have always been a fan of home improvement-type shows (and no, I'm not talking about Tim Allen's hit series - although I enjoy that one, too!). The home improvement series called "Hometime" with Dean Johnson that still airs on PBS Sunday remains as one of my all-time favorites. I remember when it used to air in re-runs daily on one of the local stations and I'd watch it every time it came on. Now a days, there are so many different "home" type shows that it's difficult to keep track of them all! Not only do we have the home improvement or do-it-yourself brand of shows, but also home designer shows as well as first-time home buying shows. They are all pretty interesting to me and on one particular cable channel that you can find those varieties of shows is on HGTV.

"Income Property" with host Scott McGillivray is one such show that I find to be intriguing. Typically the show features an individual or a couple who has recently purchased a home and are looking at ways to reduce their mortgage. One such way is to transform the basement or an attic into a rental property. A lot of these spaces are unfinished or in serious need of transformation. Typically, locations in the basement are featured on the show and mold is often a problem when demolition is occurring within a previously finished space - most notably in a bathroom. But more often than not, the end result of any of the spaces featured on this show is a luxurious and beautiful new income property for the respective home owner. Often, it cuts down the mortgage payment buy at least half, if not more. It's really interesting to see what Scott is able to do to a space that is in serious need of an overhaul.

"Holmes on Homes" is another great program on HGTV. It features Mike Holmes, a renovation expert who goes to homes that have previously had renovation work done within a portion of it. More often than not, Mike is able to find shoddy work that has been left behind by the previous contractor which ultimately results in Mike having to re-do the majority of the work. The end result is always better than the first attempt at a renovation. He's uncovered just a ton of problems in all of the homes featured on the series. During a recent episode that I saw, Mike had to completely re-do this front porch on a shared housing complex that these two women owned. The old porch had previously been repaired - but the repairs were very minor and did not address the most important needs. If Mike did not make the necessary repairs - which he ended up tearing the entire porch off the front of the house - that porch would have collapsed that next winter. He created a new sitting area in front of the house and left off the roof. That way, the two women were able to enjoy the sun on those nice, warm days.

"Property Virgins" features host Sandra Rinomato, in which she takes an individual or couple on a tour of potential first time homes. More often than not, the first few homes she takes these individuals to see aren't exactly what they are looking for. They're more in the ballpark, but either the price is too high, or the home doesn't have the right concept. She always asks these individuals what they think the price of each respective home is. Ultimately by the end of the episode, the people featured on the show end up finding the home of their dreams all thanks to Sandra's help. It honestly takes me back to my experience as a first time homebuyer so I can relate pretty easily to all that is going on during these episodes.

"Curb Appeal: The Block" features host and designer John Giddings arriving in a certain neighborhood and completely overhauling one home's exterior that is in major need of word. More often than not, these are homes that are lacking curb appeal, meaning it's lacking a contemporary look. So Giddings, along with contractor Chip Wade, and project manager Kimberly Lacy help transform the home from one of the drabbest to the envy of all the neighborhood. They don't just target one home for added curb appeal, but they typically look at two others in which they do a more smaller-scale makeover - which could be painting, to new shrubbery, to new railings around a porch. It's really interesting to note the changes that take place in a neighborhood by the time an episode comes to an end.

These are just a few of the most intriguing shows I end up watching on HGTV - obviously there are a ton of others to watch! And hopefully at some point in the future, I'll talk about some more of them. So, if you are into these kinds of programs like I am, be sure to check out HGTV. You never know what you might find!